Litchfield County Leaders Under 40 honorees announced

NORTHWEST CT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Litchfield County Leaders Under 40 honorees announced.

The Northwest Connecticut Chamber’s Young Professionals Organization is excited to announce the 40 individuals who have been selected for the first edition of Litchfield County’s Leaders Under 40. Nominations of remarkable young people living and working in the northwest corner who are making a difference in their company, school, or community were received throughout the month of March. Over 100 nominations were received.

Awardees were selected by a panel of local leaders who evaluated each nominee using the following criteria: career or educational achievement to-date, commitment to excellence in their industry, leadership within their organization, involvement in the community, leadership in community organizations, and potential impact to the community’s future.

The following individuals were selected for the honor:

Katie Adkins, Plymouth Meats

Christian Allyn, Town of North Canaan

Peter Callahan, Fresh Perspectives/Copper Beech Institute

Jamie Cantoni, Cornwall Historical Society/Western Conn State University

Andrew Deacon, Torrington Public Schools

Jennifer Donovan, Red Barn Consulting

Ruth Dwyer Nadeau, Ackerly Brown LLP

Sarah Dziedzic, Union Savings Bank

Danielle Eichman, Papermoon Dance & Performing Arts

Renee Giroux, Earth's Palate Farm & Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities

Jessica Gueniat, Torrington Library

Johanna Idrovo-Sarmien-to, Northwestern CT Community College

Lauren Johnson, Catalyst Counseling of Connecticut

Jordan Kaine, RN, BSN, Visiting Nurse Services of CT

Phillip Koenig, Wamogo Regional High School

Vince Laliberte, Pursue the Clues

Meghan Lyon, Hoekenga & Machado, LLC /UCONN School of Law

Alain Malcolm, Altek Electronics, Inc.

Katherine Mancarella, North Meadow Farm

Mathew Montgomery, Northwest CT YMCA

Katrin Moskowitz, Community Health & Wellness Center

Brian Ohler, State Representative, 64th District

Kimberly Petzel, Torrington Public Schools

Isabella Pinto, Northwestern CT Community College

Olivia Pinto, Northwestern CT Community College

Zachary Ritchie, Prime Time House, Inc.

Lisselot Rodriguez, Central CT State University

Michael Shea, OD, Blondin Shea Eye Care

Robert Simon, Torrington Police Department

John Simoncelli, Greenwoods Counseling Referrals, Inc.

James Steck, Ebersol, McCormick, Reis & Steck, LLC

Michael Sweeney, Torrington Savings Bank

Carrie Taylor, Brooks, Todd & McNeil Insurance

Jessica Tessman, Central CT State University

Jill Veras-Corey, Torrington Library

Julie Vincent, Susquehanna University

Anthony Vultaggio Jr., Torrington Ford Lincoln

Timothy Waldron, City of Torrington

Michael Whittaker, ESPN

Crystal Wiggins, Northwestern CT Community College

These individuals will be honored in a magazine publication, which will be available late July, and at an awards dinner on July 26. The evening’s Emcee will be Natasha Lekwa, Host, Influencer Marketing and Social Media Editor at Forbes. Natasha Lekwa is launching an influencer marketing strategy at Forbes, where she brings innovation and creativity to the 100 year old media company. As the host of the Forbes video series, The Business of Influence, Lekwa interviews influencers, agencies, and other industry experts from around the world on a range of topics surrounding the social media influencer space. Lekwa is focused on content creation and storytelling in new and visual ways using social media platforms. She taps influencers and Forbes list makers, including the visionaries of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Forbes Greatest Living Business Minds, Top Influencers, etc. for interviews, takeovers, and content created specifically for each social media platform.

“Congratulations to these exceptional young people who are contributing their time and talents to our region and making it a better place for all of us to live and work. These outstanding individuals, and all of the 100+ nominees, prove that the future of this region is in great hands,” said Jo Ann Ryan, President & CEO of the Northwest CT Chamber of Commerce.

The Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce created the Young Professionals Organization to support and expand the population of young professionals in Northwest CT through networking, community involvement and professional development. Young Professionals Organization is sponsored by marketing communications agency, Conquest.

The ultimate goal is to make Northwest Connecticut an inviting and attractive place in which young professionals can live and work. The Chamber recognizes that businesses, state and local governments, civic organizations and the community at large rely on young people to succeed their predecessors in leadership roles. Without leaders to fill vacancies or offer fresh ideas, the region will struggle to remain competitive.

Young Professionals Organization helps men and women in their twenties and thirties develop a peer network and plant roots in the community. This is accomplished through social networking events at local businesses, providing professional development seminars, community service opportunities, and other activities.

For more information on the Chamber’s Young Professionals Organization, visit the Chamber’s website at nwctchamberofcommerce.org, call the Chamber at 860-482-6586 or email Lauren Zordan at lauren@nwctchamberofcommerce.org.